Why Breast Cancer Kills More Black Women Than White Women

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The cancer mortality rate between African-American and white women in Atlanta is the widest in the country. / Flickr

A new study from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation finds disparities in breast cancer outcomes among African-American women compared to white women.

This follows a 2016 Cancer Epidemiology study that found that of any U.S. city, Atlanta had the widest gap in breast cancer mortality rates between African-American women and white women. That’s with 44 black patients per 100,000 residents dying, compared to 20 per 100,000 white women.

 On Second Thought host Adam Ragusea speaks with Dr. Otis Brawley of the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical and scientific officer for the American Cancer Society, is a key leader in the drive to eliminate disparities in access to quality cancer care. He says the issue starts with a lack of preventive care.